Temujin, his mother and his brothers were abandoned when his father was murdered.  His survival, on the barren and frigid Mongolian plains, was not something that the murderer anticipated...but survive he did, and by sheer will, brought together the vast Mongolian tribes into a terrible and dreaded force.  Constant raiding and war was the normal way of life, using bow and arrow, swords, knives, spears  and axes.  Peace was not a term that was even understood, and revenge was high on his list of desired accomplishments.

In this first volume of the series, Temujin goes from being an abandoned child to one of history's greatest generals; a leader without equal.  He accomplishes this through his physical strength and cunning, and manages to overpower and gain the loyalty of all the minor tribes in a conquering force unequalled in history.

This is a rare book that brings you right into the action and makes you forget that you are not actually there.  Easy to read; impossible to put down.  Author of the bestseller Emperor, the series about the life of Julius Caesar, Conn Iggulden is a writer who begs comparison to no one.  I just added him to my list of favorite authors.